– TeamApt, Moniepoint sue OPay, accuse firm of data breach, unethical recruitment, and CBN rule violations.
– Plaintiffs allege poaching of BRMs and aggregators to extract insider information for POS deployment.
– Court asked to restrain OPay, SOTI Investments from using or accessing any confidential data.
Moniepoint vs Opay
Moniepoint Microfinance Bank and its parent company, TeamApt Limited, have taken OPay Digital Services Limited to court over claims that go beyond routine staff movement in Nigeria’s fintech market. The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, frames the dispute as a question of data protection, fair competition, and regulatory compliance.
What the lawsuit is about
At the center of the case is an allegation that OPay and its affiliate, SOTI Investments Limited, deliberately recruited Moniepoint-linked Business Relationship Managers and aggregators to obtain sensitive internal information. The plaintiffs say these individuals were not hired for their general skills alone, but for their access to details about merchant networks, agent performance, deployment plans, and operational processes tied to point-of-sale terminals.
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Moniepoint argues that this information qualifies as confidential banking and business data, and that using it to expand a rival POS network crosses ethical and legal lines.
READ ALSO: CAC Threatens Watchlist Action on Opay, Moniepoint Over Unregistered POS Operators
Why BRMs and aggregators matter
Business Relationship Managers and aggregators play a critical role in fintech operations. They manage agent relationships, oversee POS distribution, and understand where transaction volumes are strongest. According to the plaintiffs, targeting people in these roles gives a competitor a shortcut into markets that would otherwise require time, capital, and independent market research to penetrate.
The lawsuit claims this approach allowed OPay to fast-track POS deployment using insights developed internally by Moniepoint over years of operations.
Regulatory angle
Moniepoint and TeamApt also anchor their case on regulation. They contend that the alleged conduct violates Central Bank of Nigeria rules on banking ethics, data confidentiality, and fair competition. While the court has not ruled on the substance of these claims, the filing positions the dispute as one with implications for how regulated financial institutions handle employee exits and competitive hiring.
What the plaintiffs want
The companies are asking the court to issue restraining orders that would prevent OPay and SOTI Investments from contacting or engaging their BRMs and aggregators. They are also seeking an injunction to stop the use or further access to any confidential information allegedly obtained through former staff.
Why the case matter
The suit highlights growing tension in Nigeria’s fintech sector, where rapid expansion and overlapping agent networks have increased competition for talent and data. A ruling in favor of Moniepoint could set limits on how far aggressive recruitment can go in a regulated financial environment. A ruling for OPay could affirm that employee mobility, even at senior operational levels, remains lawful if not explicitly restricted by contract.
For now, the case serves as a test of how courts will balance competition, confidentiality, and regulation in one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing industries.
